The personal style journey of a petite mum who loves vintage, films, shoes and handbags!

Make Up et al

Don’t worry I’m not going to talk about this regularly or start dispensing advice but I just wanted to share for once my journey. I wished I’d read this excellent post by Lisa at Privilege before going to London. She looked so incredibly beautiful and natural at her recent wedding. I did read this post over at Garance Doré though that gave me a big ‘Aha!’ moment and kept it in mind eversince.

In my teens, make up experiments were very open because how many Oriental female role models can you name from the 80’s? In UK? In the West? Exactly! In the absence of any sisters or anyone else who looked like me – except my Dad – I really had no clue what I was doing so photos of me from the 80’s (and much of the 90’s too in fact…) are make up tragedies! All my friends had big blue or brown eyes and thick long eyelashes – those were just the boys 😉 In my early teens I remember walking into the bathroom of one of our French friends and it looked like a Chanel beauty counter so I tried the eye shadows (at a real Chanel counter, not in her bathroom) but their colours did nothing for me, same with the lipsticks, however I used their gorgeous powder compact (still have it as a souvenir).

Next came Clinique on the recommendation of a friend but the same thing happened though I discovered their liquid eyeliner that I still use today. It was Lancôme that became my go to for make up and skin care for the next 3 decades. Nail polish and lipstick continues to be Chanel and Revlon with a touch of YSL thrown in for good measure.

So when I started my Closet Audit a couple of years ago, it was also time to revamp my skin care and make up. I parted ways with Lancôme to experiment with Simple products and ended up loving the Avène range. I gradually changed over to using most of their skin care products now.

I wish I was as edited with my closet as I am with my make up products! This is all!

I stopped using foundation a long time ago but hung on with the loose powder. When I realised more effort was required at my recent ‘Celebrity Dinner’, I knew it meant concealer and a new foundation. Fortunately, I had read good things about Chanel’s Les Beige on Twitter so tried it out at my local department store. Yep, it worked! I waited until I got to London to visit their new boutique in Covent Garden to actually make my purchases. The lovely young girl who helped me gave me lots of samples as well so I was very pleased with the whole experience. Very!

Proving that I’m out of practise, it took me longer than I thought to get ready for the big dinner and had literally just dabbed my lipstick before we had to leave – without even brushing my hair! I prayed my hair would behave itself and not droop as per usual. I wanted a polished but very natural look. All I did was dry my hair upside down to give it some body and I knew soon it would smooth down on its own without having to be brushed. And I knew it would look wrong to suddenly wear twice as much make up and style my hair when I’m so not used to it! Ease and comfort were paramount, even down to my 4″ heels 🙂

The flash in the close up took away a shade or two of my make up as well gave me a bald patch but it’s basically a more intense version of my day time face with the careful addition of under eye concealer and the magical Les Beiges powder foundation – I’m telling you both are brilliant! I’m pretty good at not touching my face once the make up is done and I only ever reapply the lipstick, nothing else, because I really hate to fiddle. So I’m happy to have updated myself finally.

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9 thoughts on “Make Up et al”

Brilliant post. I can relate on so many matters especially the makeup for eyes. And it kills me that my boys have the most beautiful long lashes and I have spiders legs. It’s so not fair right? They don’t need them, I do.

But I am on a very slow journey myself to update myself and my makeup. I’ve always gone for the natural look and I have taken that very literally but these days I have been known to put on the odd drop of BB cream whilst whizzing a powder brush around just to take away any shine. The BB cream is a huge step up for me and is indeed a revelation that I am even using it. I don’t mind make up as long as it enhances rather than making me look like I’ve played in my mother’s make up box. And very right of you to upgrade your look slightly for an evening look rather than play to a look that you imagine you feel you should be wearing and which is not you. I remember once trying to apply some make up on and the Grumps saying “stop – you don’t need any more” and he meant it in a good way.

I have to say, I know I’m getting old when I want to take a face flannel to some of the young girls out there who are caked in foundation. Why hide beautiful unlined skin?

Thanks so much Sue – I really appreciate your input! I’m finding I want to use less make up or rather look more natural as time goes on but it doesn’t necessarily mean I actually use less products, right lol! I have friends who never wear make up at all not even lipgloss and they’re perfectly fine and beautiful as they are. It’s hard for me to think back on when I used to wear a lot more including false lashes occasionally and contacts but gave them all up years ago.
I am definitely going to try MayLash, have you heard of it?
I agree with you about the young girls!